


The Cat and the Shopkeeper

by Catmod



Category: Original Works
Genre: Gen, Gender Neutral Pronouns, Other, fairy tale romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 15:22:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18759115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catmod/pseuds/Catmod
Summary: The most beautiful and sought after woman in town has announced that she is holding a contest for her hand in marriage. Whoever is able to catch the cat with the key around its neck that opens the front door to her house, shall be the one she marries. You may not have an interest in running around town, but when the cat shows up in your shop's storeroom what will come about? There is more than one way to catch a cat.





	The Cat and the Shopkeeper

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the tumblr post by user siniristiriita found here: https://siniristiriita.tumblr.com/post/184616003264/story-idea-the-most-wanted-woman-in-town-has  
> I decided to post my take on the story here!

It was a surprise to everyone in town when Lady Elizabeth’s announcement was posted in the town square: 

“Due to the sheer number of proposals I have received, I have decided a fair way to decide whom I should marry. You may notice a lovely long-haired black cat wandering through town with a key around its neck. That key unlocks the front door to my home. Whoever is able to catch the cat and bring both the cat and the key to unlock my door will be the one whom I will marry. 

Good luck fair suitors, 

Lady Elizabeth.”

Thus the hunt was on and the city acquired a new kind of chaos to its daily hustle and bustle. Men could be found at any given hour of the day running through alleyways and crossroads hot on the tail of the illustrious cat. But no matter what tools they used, be it bait, traps, or nets, no one was able to capture it. 

Not that it mattered you much as you go about your own daily business. There is much to much work at your humble shop to be chasing after a cat morning, noon, and night. Really, what did these people do for a living that they can go chasing after a cat all day long? You were never the kind of person for such impracticalities.

As you went about setting up your wares and sweeping the floors to prepare for the day, a crash in the back room made you freeze. Suspecting a burglar, you grip your broom tight as you enter to find the source of the commotion. What you find is not a burglar or vagrant. It is a small, long-haired black cat with a simple key around its neck huddled in the corner of your storeroom.

“Well hello there, little one.” You say as you prop the broom against the doorframe. The cat backs itself further against the wall as you approach with its hackles raised and a low growl in its throat so you stop yourself from approaching any closer. “No need for that now. I get it. Not much of a people person are you?”

The cat stares back at you with an almost unnatural intelligence in its eyes as it stops growling but does not budge from the corner. The bell on the shop door rings gaining your attention. “I got to go now, but feel free to stay here as long as you need. I know I wouldn’t like people chasing me through town nonstop like you are.” That cat almost imperceptibly seems to nod at you and lays down in the corner, still never taking its eyes off you. With that, you leave and begin your day attending to your customers. 

Thus began a very strange routine. After the first few visits, you begin leaving water and a small bowl of food out in the storeroom for the cat. You would go back during your break and freshen the bowls and talk to the cat about customers or the latest book you were reading or any other thing on your mind at the time. The cat would never let you touch it, but it did start to get more comfortable around you to not try and claw your hand off when you replace the food dishes so there’s that at least. 

It felt silly at first. Talking to a cat as if it understands what you’re saying is not something many sane people do. But that cat always made a point to watch and listen when you spoke to it. And despite having a semi-successful business, you don’t have many friends to talk to. So you find yourself looking forward to those little moments with the cat. Even outside of the storeroom, you’d sometimes see the cat bolt past you with another bumbling idiot following behind it. It would always look to you in that moment and meow at you before turning down another alley or into a hedge making you chuckle and shake your head as you continue with your own business.

The thought never occurred to you to try and catch it yourself. Everyone called Lady Elizabeth the town’s crown jewel. And it was well earned. She was beautiful both inside and out. She was kind and would always lend a helping hand to an old lady cross the street or tend to a child’s scraped knee. And her long, silky black hair and piercing sapphire eyes and a smile that gleams like sunlight and a complexion that made her skin look made of porcelain set her as the prettiest girl in town. So what would a lady of such high esteem and renowned ever want to have a humble shopkeep as their spouse?

You stated as such to the cat the next time they visited. Then the oddest thing happened. For the first time, the cat actually approached you and rubbed against your side and allowed you to stroke it’s back. Their fur was softer than wool and it made you smile when they started to purr. Then to add to the surrealness of it all, the cat meowed and rubbed its head against your hand. When you went to scratch its chin, it moved its head under your hand until it slipped under the string of the key then moved away leaving the key to dangle from your wrist instead.

You stared gawking at the cat as it moved further away and shimmered with a bright light. Suddenly, Lady Elizabeth was standing in the place the cat once stood. “I-I… wait- What?! I don’t-” You stumble out and a part of you is twinged at the irony that you are now the one pressing yourself into the corner of your storeroom.

Lady Elizabeth smiled as she knelt in front of you. “I guess I have some explaining to do, don’t I?” She laughed when the best you could do was nod with your mouth still wide open in shock. “So long story short? I was tired of having every day I went into town being swarmed by a bunch of bull-headed men telling me I should drop everything I was doing and marry them. So I came up with a plan! I changed myself into a cat and gave them the task to hunt me down and snatch the key to win my hand in marriage! No one can catch a cat through brute force. The average housecat is twice as fast as even the most athletic human. You’d think between all of them, one would be smart enough to realize to catch a cat would require a softer hand than just charging blindly. But then I met you!” She beamed at you and you could feel the blush creeping up your neck. 

“I honestly crashed into your storeroom completely on accident.” She laughed sheepishly and looked at you for the first time with a look of embarrassment. “I wasn’t expecting Georgie to climb up on the roof after me and I panicked. I jumped from the roof and landed right through your open storeroom window.” You couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of it all and she smiled and laughed with you. God, even her laugh was beautiful. “You never once tried to catch me, even when you had me pinned in the corner! You let me come and go as I pleased, fed me, and talked to me as if I were a person. No one ever talked to me like that even when I wasn’t a cat. You’re smart and funny and kind and I couldn’t stand to let you sit there and talk so poorly about yourself anymore!” She blushed at her own passionate declaration but continued onward. “So… Will you please accept my proposal and marry me?” 

Part of you can hardly believe what you’re hearing. Surely you overslept and are still dreaming right now. Lady Elizabeth wants to marry you? She could choose anyone in the world, and she chose You. Well… if this is a dream, might as well give it a happy ending. “Yes.” She beams brighter than you ever saw her before and pulls you into a kiss. Now you know for sure this isn’t a dream.


End file.
